Visit our Popular Forums

Azul · 02-05-2014, 21:45

To follow up, someone offered something for the boat and it was sold. I told the owner I wouldn't make an offer but if he couldn't sell it I would take it. The cost to move it 21 miles to the family farm would have been about $500. It would have been an expensive, long term project.

As I mentioned, I have already completely redone a project boat. It was a year of 8 to 12 hour days, but not that much money as the PO included most of the costly supplies, and I found the work therapeutic. I spent so much time in a Tyvek suit people at the marina didn't recognize me cleaned up and in street clothes. For all but three months I lived on the boat while doing the work which was not ideal.

Before that I gutted and restored an 1853 farmhouse for my mother, it was very rewarding and educational.

There is a very complete blog about refitting an Alberg 30, the owner spent four years of his free time completing it from a bare hull then quit his job and sailed it to Hawaii. It was worse than this Alberg, had no engine and he had to transport it 900 miles.

Not every project has a bad ending. My old sailboat is worth $15K more than I have invested in it and has been essentially a free home for two years. There is a lot of satisfaction in saving a neglected wreck with good bones.

Aloha_float · 03-05-2014, 07:13

Albergs are beautiful boats....like old cars with the exception that some old cars are worth something when done, this is a project that I would enjoy as it is exactly as you said...therapeutic. Although I have a vanilla brand aloha, I bought it after it sat on the hard for a number of years. It had a seized engine, cracked gel coat, not so nice cockpit etc. I did rebuild most of this boat and still have a number of things to do. I spent too much money but have no regrets.

I want to scale up but struggle with the choice between newer and modern or old and classic.

Boats do not fit into the world of logic!

Glenn.Brooks · 10-08-2014, 11:30

Shame to see the alberg so neglected. It takes real dedicated neglect to turn such a boat into such deplorable condition.

My Alberg 30 wasn't quite as bad as this when I started refitting it 9 years ago, but did have mushrooms growing on what was left of varnished taff rail rail and completely mildew black bulkheads down below. It is now in pristine condition with another 50 years of life left, hopefully, or more. However, the 2x cost estimate to refit, is waaaay Low, in my experience. And to encourage you further, when you get done, the internet Trolls will tell you the $60k you invested in the boat has magically depreciated to no more than $5000 to $15,000 because that's what the non maintained weekend beaters are listed for- regardless of how well reconditioned your boat is. But, if you take on a project like this, you can sail to the far side of world in confidence, enjoy a boat that is truly superb in a seaway, and people you've never met before will sail alongside and give you thumbs up for making their day!

Btw, refits don't have to include jacuzzi's and every electronic discovery made for the Marina Queen Fleet. Strip it out, rebuild for seaworthiness, go sailing.

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Cruiser2B · 10-08-2014, 13:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn.Brooks

Shame to see the alberg so neglected. It takes real dedicated neglect to turn such a boat into such deplorable condition.

My Alberg 30 wasn't quite as bad as this when I started refitting it 9 years ago, but did have mushrooms growing on what was left of varnished taff rail rail and completely mildew black bulkheads down below. It is now in pristine condition with another 50 years of life left, hopefully, or more. However, the 2x cost estimate to refit, is waaaay Low, in my experience. And to encourage you further, when you get done, the internet Trolls will tell you the $60k you invested in the boat has magically depreciated to no more than $5000 to $15,000 because that's what the non maintained weekend beaters are listed for- regardless of how well reconditioned your boat is. But, if you take on a project like this, you can sail to the far side of world in confidence, enjoy a boat that is truly superb in a seaway, and people you've never met before will sail alongside and give you thumbs up for making their day!

Btw, refits don't have to include jacuzzi's and every electronic discovery made for the Marina Queen Fleet. Strip it out, rebuild for seaworthiness, go sailing.

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Yea, What he said!

Quite simply like old classic cars, they simply do not make boats like this anymore. Simple, Rugged and Seaworthy! So if a classic Alberg is something you fancy, and you think you can handle this sort of work, why not? It will take some work but in the end you will have a seaworthy classic that will last you another 20-30yrs. Will work be easy? No! Will it be cheap? prolly not! Could you put 15K-25K into another pedigree boat that will have the beauty and seaworthiness? Prolly not.
Good Luck with your decision!

Jon Phillips · 10-08-2014, 16:10

Island_Moose: "In other words, you will pay $1000 for the priviledge of being covered in epoxy until 2017."

HA! True that. $16k could get you into a pretty nice Alberg =)

pedestrian · 30-04-2015, 16:33

I found this thread from doing a google image search of "alberg 30". I noticed my neglected sloop and thought it might be interesting to some contributors to the thread to hear the current disposition of the boat. I probably made an offer that was only slightly more enticing than the one made by the original poster and was a bit shocked when it was accepted. The risk has been pretty rewarding though. I am working on getting it ready for painting the top sides of the hull right now and it is cleaning up well enough. It's not my intent to restore the boat to perfect original condition, but to make sure it's safe enough to use and look ok. Once I'm to that point I'm going to work on the interior. I was hoping to post an image of the companion way hatch I built out of teak for it but looks like I need to find an image hosting service first.

oldragbaggers · 30-04-2015, 17:23

Welcome, Pedestrian. I will very much like to see your pictures when you post them.

We have a Cape Dory 33, also an Alberg design. We are admirers of Alberg boats and love to see them restored and given a new seagoing life.

I once redid the interior of a Bristol 24 that was in very similar condition to your Alberg and it was one of the most fun and rewarding boat projects I have ever done. The old plywood interiors are quite easy to redo if you are careful and methodical about it.

I very carefully removed every piece but before I did I wrote on them to identify them then took pictures of the pieces in place....lots of pictures, and lots of markings, so that there would be absolutely no doubt how everything went together. I made markings on the hull where things had to be bonded back into place. Then I used the originals as patterns to cut a whole new interior. I used beautiful teak faced ply for the surfaces that were exposed to the cabin and good marine grade plywood for the parts that wouldn't be seen. Then just put it all back together exactly the way it came apart. It came out fantastic, and it honestly wasn't all that hard.

You can give this old girl a new life and turn her into the head turner she was designed to be. Good luck with her. You have yourself a fine vessel.

pedestrian · 02-05-2015, 10:09

oldragbaggers. thanks for your encouragement and directions for rebuilding the interior. Unfortunately previous owner "modified" so much down there that trying to get back to original spec from what's there would be a challenge. But I have access to decent wood working equipment and help from experienced wood workers so will find solutions. This is the underside of the companion way hatch we built for it not exactly like original but doesn't look too out of place on a vintage sloop.

Jason Flare · 02-05-2015, 10:53

I rebuilt a boat from the keel up.

After that I bought a bigger boat that someone else had rebuilt from the keel up and capitalized on that.

pedestrian · 20-05-2015, 14:30

I've filled in the majority of the dings scrapes and repaired the fiberglass damage on the port side. I painted it yesterday and although it's far from perfect it is now at least presentable. I am not sure if the picture of the sliding hatch went up ok last time so I re posted it here.

http://s21.postimg.org/t3s1zuq53/K5_JP8073sm.jpg

http://s16.postimg.org/ilizfj0sl/113...16980254_o.jpg

http://s24.postimg.org/ukeqdls85/104...66887011_o.jpg

Glenn.Brooks · 14-06-2015, 21:30

Bravo for going ahead with your purchase and rebuild! My Alberg 30- a complete restoration - is this very moment headed out the Straits of Juan Defuca enroute to San Francisco and then on to Hawaii. Three days ago the new owner and I did some sea trials out in the straits in winds that required two reefs in the main and 7 wraps on the roller furling Genoa- taking it down about to the size of a small storm jyb. The boat performed magnificently - clocking 5 kts in 35 knots, gusting to 60, on a close reach for hours, and standing upright on her lines and holding her course like the Queen Mary.

It will take some time and some money to reach your goal of refitting, but when you are finished, you will have a magnificent sailing vessel that will take you anywhere you want to go. no disrespect to the first 17 or 18 naysayers who answered your first post. But, your Alberg will be sailing long after these guys have given up.

There are three or four critical structural items you should check out:

1) 1/4" bolts in the chain plates should all be refitted with 5/16". Take the chain plates out, reverse them and re drill for 5/16". Then reinstall.

2) reinforce the forward lower chain plate bulkhead mounts in the focscle. These can pull away from the hull in a big sea way. Couple extra layers of glass and woving will fix this.

3) compression beam under the mast, in the forward cabin, can delaminate. whidby boats used a glue to laminate the original oak beam that fails after 40 years. Most Albergers replace this beam with either vertical Aluminium plate, a new laminated beam, or a few (like me) shaped one out of solid wood.

4) check the lower rudder pin fitting. The pin wears down and can easily be replaced by drilling out and screwing a 1/2" or 5/8" bronze machine screw shank back into the bottom of the rudder post.

There is a host of food upgrade and refit suggestions on the Alberg30.com web site. The site is run by the Alberg 30 association and you can sign up for the Alberg 30 list serve. The Alberg owners on the list are very active in helping new Alberg owners refit their vessels. The men and women on the list will help you with any configuration or structural replacement questions you might have. It's better than having a set of blueprints to work with. As all these boats changed over time, and the experts on the list will know exactly what modifications your boat is likely to have.

BTW, four Alberg 30's now have circumnavigated, all by singlehanded sailors. You could be the fifth.

Good luck, and keep moving forward!

Glenn B.
SV Dolce, Hull No. 318

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum